Tag: NFL Picks

If anyone plans on catching the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, there’s going to have to be a team in the West that steps up and beats them. The Oakland Raiders have a grand chance of doing just that on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 7 of the season.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins popped their corks last weekend when the Chiefs suffered their first loss of the year. Now, we’ll see whether Kansas City is going to stick around as one of the top contenders in the AFC or not.

The hope for the Chiefs is that their first half last week against the Steelers was an aberration. Alex Smith and company had -21 yards in the first half versus the team that ended their season. For a team that still ranks No. 2 in the NFL in total offense at 387.0 yards per game and is No. 3 in scoring, you have to think that this was a flash in the pan.

Then again, it’s also worth remembering that the Chiefs had an average-at-best offense a year ago, and there isn’t any more talent on this team now than there was last season. The only difference is that Kareem Hunt, a running back who may or may not have more talent than anyone who was on the roster last year, is racking up insane statistics.

The Raiders dropped to just 2-4 on the year. A loss in this game, and the likelihood of getting into the playoffs is slim at best. Oakland won’t be back at home after this game until November 26 after playing at Buffalo and Miami, having a bye week, then playing in Mexico City against New England.

Derek Carr rushed back from his back injury in Week 6 after missing just one game. After watching him throw for just 171 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in a 17-16 loss to the Chargers last week, we wonder if there’s still a lot wrong with him.

But even before he was hurt, the Raiders were struggling. They scored 71 points in their first two games combined; they’ve scored a total of just 53 since that point.

Heck, E.J. Manuel’s 17-point effort against Baltimore was the best this team has had since Week 2 of the season.

Key Player

It should be rather obvious that your best players have to make big plays to win games in the NFL. It should also be rather obvious that Oakland’s struggles run parallel to Amari Cooper’s.

In the first two games of the season, Cooper had nine receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. In his last four, he has nine receptions for 51 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone since Week 1 and hasn’t had a catch that covered more than eight yards since Week 2.

Simply put, the Raiders aren’t moving the ball without No. 89 making some big plays. Cooper’s frustration has to boil over at some point. Maybe the fact that he had five receptions against L.A. last week will help him out. This has to be his breakout game, but it comes against one of the stingier pass defenses in the NFL.

Chiefs vs. Raiders Free Picks

Last year, Cooper had 15 catches in two games against the Chiefs, and we have to think that he’s going to finally snap out of his funk this week.

We’re not sold on this Kansas City outfit. The team has massively overachieved offensively, and for as great as this pass rush is, the raw defensive stats aren’t great. There’s no way this team should be allowing just 21.7 points per game after allowing 378.2 yards per game.

The Oakland defense played a huge game last week against the Chargers, yet it ran out of gas at the end after so many bad offensive possessions left the ‘D’ in bad spots. If Carr and the offense get their acts together, this is a winnable game against an overrated team.

While the Cleveland Browns get the ridicule as the worst team in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers could once again give them a run for that title in 2017. After several years of competing for a Super Bowl under coach Jim Harbaugh, it has been a swift descension for San Francisco, which is now in the midst of a major rebuild.

The team hired Kyle Shanahan as its coach and John Lynch as the general manager to right the ship. Brian Hoyer was added to play quarterback, but he is nothing more than a journeyman. Unless the 49ers get a ton of unexpected performances, they will likely only win a few games once again this season.

The 49ers finished the 2016 season 27th in the NFL in points scored and last in points allowed. Quarterback was an issue, as neither Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert could consistently lead the team.

Hoyer may not be much better unless the offensive line improves and some weapons emerge. Pierre Garcon was signed in free agency and he should be a reliable wide receiver, but the team is still short on impact skill players.

The defensive front has the potential to be good, headlined by DeForest Buckner and No. 3 overall draft pick Solomon Thomas. Lynch traded back in the draft from No. 2 knowing that it’s important to stockpile draft picks as the team continues to rebuild.

However, in doing so, it leaves the 49ers without a quarterback with high upside. San Francisco may be able to slowly turn it around but this season is expected to be another struggle. It would be a surprise if the 49ers win more than a handful of games in 2017.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been trending up the past couple of years, but didn’t do quite enough near the end of 2016 to make it to the postseason. They added some key pieces in free agency to help out star quarterback Jameis Winston and are feeling good about their chances in 2017.

While there is a lot of optimism, this is a team that plays in the tough NFC South and still hasn’t totally proven itself. Tampa Bay had a negative point-differential last season despite a winning record and it’s not a done deal that they will take another step forward. It will certainly be an intriguing year for the Buccaneers who hope to push for the playoffs.

Much of the Buccaneers’ fate will be on the right arm of Winston. He threw for 4,090 yards with 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions a season ago and figures to improve on those numbers as he gets another season of experience under his belt.

Winston still has his main target in Mike Evans and the team made a big signing with the addition of speedster DeSean Jackson, who will take the top off defenses. Doug Martin had a bumpy year in 2016 but if he can return to form he should be a solid running back. The Bucs drafted star tight end O.J. Howard in the first round and he should be a nice addition both as a run blocker and receiver.

The defense was in the middle of the pack a season ago, giving up 23.2 points per game. The team has some standouts, led by Gerald McCoy, but it doesn’t seem likely to be dominant. However, if the offense can improve and the defense can play similarly to last year, this is a team that can get to 10 wins.

While everything has been trending up for Tampa Bay the past three seasons, it’s not an automatic that the playoffs will happen. Six games within the division against the Falcons, Saints and Panthers is tough, as are non-divisional games with the Patriots, Packers, Cardinals and Vikings.

Tampa Bay will only take the next step forward if Winston elevates his game to another level.

The Washington Redskins made the playoffs in 2015 and started last season 6-3-1, but stumbled down the stretch and missed the postseason. Now the club is at a bit of a crossroads, as standout quarterback Kirk Cousins is not signed to a long-term deal and the team must decide which way it will go moving forward.

It’s possible Cousins signs a contract extension before the season, but if he doesn’t it will be interesting to see how everything plays out. The offense was solid a year ago but lost a pair of key receivers and must be sharp in order to duplicate last year’s showing.

Washington is in a tough NFC East and could face an uphill climb to make the postseason.

Cousins played well last year, throwing for 4,917 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, he was aided by one of the best pass-catching groups in the NFL, and both DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon left in free agency.

However, there is still some talent coming back, highlighted by star tight end Jordan Reed, and the Redskins signed the talented Terrelle Pryor in free agency. Cousins should still have enough players who can consistently beat defensive backs, but it could take some time to develop the chemistry with the new players.

The Redskins’ offense should be good, but the defense needs to improve after allowing 23.9 points per game a year ago. Jonathan Allen was drafted in the first round to add talent to the defensive line, while safety D.J. Swearinger was signed in free agency. Star cornerback Josh Norman and edge-rusher Ryan Kerrigan are still around, so there are pieces.

The Redskins don’t have the look of an elite team, but they do have some talent. If Cousins can continue to improve Washington should remain in playoff contention throughout 2017, and if it gets enough breaks, a return to the playoffs is a possibility.

The Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs once again in 2016 and weren’t at all satisfied with the result. The core of the team has won a Super Bowl and been to another and that’s the goal each year.

The group returns this season focused on making a deep run. The health of quarterback Russell Wilson will be key, because while he didn’t miss a game last season, he was slowed by multiple different injuries. Between Wilson and an elite defense, the Seahawks have the personnel to be the favorites in the NFC West and in the running to win the conference once again this season.

That’s why the team is always in the playoff hunt, as the core of this club has been stable for several years. However, the offensive line has lost some key pieces over the years and was a mess in 2016. The Seahawks signed Luke Joeckel but he’s been inconsistent during his career and even if he’s good, there are still worries.

Eddie Lacy was added to give the Seahawks a power running back, and he can help take the pressure off Wilson. The Seahawks’ only real competition in the division will be the Cardinals, and Seattle is expected to claim the NFC West title once again.

While there are some other top teams in the NFC, Seattle should once again win double-digit games and make a postseason push.